A Harmony Ink Press Young Adult Title
In his junior year at a public high school, sweet, bright Casey Minton’s biggest worry isn’t being gay. Keeping from being too badly bullied by his so-called friends, a group of girls called the Queen Bees, is more pressing. Nate De Marco has no friends, his tough home life having taken its toll on his reputation, but he’s determined to get through high school. Zander Zane’s story is different: he’s popular, a jock. Zander knows he’s gay, but fellow students don’t, and he’d like to keep it that way.
No one expects much when these three are grouped together for a class project, yet in the process the boys discover each other’s talents and traits, and a new bond forms. But what if Nate, Zander, and Casey fall in love—each with the other and all three together? Not only gay but also a threesome, for them high school becomes infinitely more complicated and maybe even dangerous. To survive and keep their love alive, they must find their individual strengths and courage and stand together, honest and united. If they can do that, they might prevail against the Queen Bees and a student body frightened into silence—and even against their own crippling fears.
In his junior year at a public high school, sweet, bright Casey Minton’s biggest worry isn’t being gay. Keeping from being too badly bullied by his so-called friends, a group of girls called the Queen Bees, is more pressing. Nate De Marco has no friends, his tough home life having taken its toll on his reputation, but he’s determined to get through high school. Zander Zane’s story is different: he’s popular, a jock. Zander knows he’s gay, but fellow students don’t, and he’d like to keep it that way.
No one expects much when these three are grouped together for a class project, yet in the process the boys discover each other’s talents and traits, and a new bond forms. But what if Nate, Zander, and Casey fall in love—each with the other and all three together? Not only gay but also a threesome, for them high school becomes infinitely more complicated and maybe even dangerous. To survive and keep their love alive, they must find their individual strengths and courage and stand together, honest and united. If they can do that, they might prevail against the Queen Bees and a student body frightened into silence—and even against their own crippling fears.
Grab your copy of Us Three through Dreamspinner Press!
Casey
Minton is young naive and jaded. An incident in his past brought on by his
"best friends" have left him vulnerable and he suffers from frequent
panic attacks. His family life is fantastic though. His parents know he is gay
even though he isn't out at school and they are very understanding, he has a
great relationship with his little sisters, but his mother is extremely over
protective after the incident in the 9th grade.
Nate De Marco is the poster boy for tall, dark, handsome and brooding. A loner at school and at home, having to live with an abusive uncle because his parents aren't there. He takes the brunt of the abuse to protect his little sister. Again, he knows he's gay but he hasn't told anyone, not even his family. He just takes everything one day at a time, going through the motions.
Zander Zane is the popular guy, he's in thick with the 'in crowd' but he's not cruel or ignorant and passive like the rest of his peers. He's kind of quiet and laid back, hiding under all that hair, until the day he's partnered up for a class project with Casey and Nate. And so the story of the three unfolds told from three very unique and differing points of view. Nate tells his part through his personal diary, Zander's thoughts and emotions show in email communications with his brother, and the reader follows the story in real time with Casey, as he navigates through high school on the shit list of the Queen B's and in the arms of the last two people on earth he never fathomed would be there to comfort him when the bottom falls out.
What starts out as a commitment to work together turns into a genuine friendship as the three learn more about each other every day. Before long shy, longing stares and touches that start out innocent but grow with intensity and heat bring the three together in a dangerous but beautiful threesome. As with everything in their relationship, it's a gradual growth, and Kerick manages to capture each different young man’s thoughts and feelings throughout.
Casey is just a genuinely good person with a soft heart and a kind soul. This gets him into some serious trouble that not even his guys can save him from. Some people are just evil to the core, their mission in life is to make everyone else miserable, but this particular Queen B has her sights set on Casey. Nate is the quiet giant. He makes it his mission in life to protect what he loves, and that is Casey and Zan. When he can't protect Casey it almost tears him apart. And Zan, he is the glue that holds these three together. He has the most laid back attitude and everyday life of the three. He makes it his mission to raise awareness at school and get everyone under the Queen B's influence to think for themselves. Individually each of these characters has their own weaknes's but together, as a trifecta, they find a love and a strength they never knew they had.
I just fell in love with this story and with these three guys. It took me a couple chapters to get with the flow of writing as being told from three distinctly different POV with emails, diaries and in real time. But once I figured out how the book was going to read, I was completely engrossed in the story. The storyline was engaging and thought provoking and the three ML were so endearing. While there were a couple rough patches with some deep seeded hate, there was a lot of love in between. This is a must read guys, especially if you're looking for a story about finding true love in the oddest of places and not only standing up for yourself, but what is right and the people you love.
Nate De Marco is the poster boy for tall, dark, handsome and brooding. A loner at school and at home, having to live with an abusive uncle because his parents aren't there. He takes the brunt of the abuse to protect his little sister. Again, he knows he's gay but he hasn't told anyone, not even his family. He just takes everything one day at a time, going through the motions.
Zander Zane is the popular guy, he's in thick with the 'in crowd' but he's not cruel or ignorant and passive like the rest of his peers. He's kind of quiet and laid back, hiding under all that hair, until the day he's partnered up for a class project with Casey and Nate. And so the story of the three unfolds told from three very unique and differing points of view. Nate tells his part through his personal diary, Zander's thoughts and emotions show in email communications with his brother, and the reader follows the story in real time with Casey, as he navigates through high school on the shit list of the Queen B's and in the arms of the last two people on earth he never fathomed would be there to comfort him when the bottom falls out.
What starts out as a commitment to work together turns into a genuine friendship as the three learn more about each other every day. Before long shy, longing stares and touches that start out innocent but grow with intensity and heat bring the three together in a dangerous but beautiful threesome. As with everything in their relationship, it's a gradual growth, and Kerick manages to capture each different young man’s thoughts and feelings throughout.
Casey is just a genuinely good person with a soft heart and a kind soul. This gets him into some serious trouble that not even his guys can save him from. Some people are just evil to the core, their mission in life is to make everyone else miserable, but this particular Queen B has her sights set on Casey. Nate is the quiet giant. He makes it his mission in life to protect what he loves, and that is Casey and Zan. When he can't protect Casey it almost tears him apart. And Zan, he is the glue that holds these three together. He has the most laid back attitude and everyday life of the three. He makes it his mission to raise awareness at school and get everyone under the Queen B's influence to think for themselves. Individually each of these characters has their own weaknes's but together, as a trifecta, they find a love and a strength they never knew they had.
I just fell in love with this story and with these three guys. It took me a couple chapters to get with the flow of writing as being told from three distinctly different POV with emails, diaries and in real time. But once I figured out how the book was going to read, I was completely engrossed in the story. The storyline was engaging and thought provoking and the three ML were so endearing. While there were a couple rough patches with some deep seeded hate, there was a lot of love in between. This is a must read guys, especially if you're looking for a story about finding true love in the oddest of places and not only standing up for yourself, but what is right and the people you love.
Author Mia Kerick's playlist for 'Us Three' with links and the story behind the song!
Hi, Thanks for inviting me over to TTC Books and more to
share the Us Three Playlist (They are IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER…)
1."How To Save A Life" by The Fray (http://youtu.be/cjVQ36NhbMk)
I chose this song because after Nate and Zander get to know
Casey, they set their minds on a project of how to save his life. They are
compelled to do this as they know how beautiful, yet fragile, his spirit is.
2. "Say Something" by A GREAT BIG WORLD LYRICS (http://youtu.be/-2U0Ivkn2Ds)
I chose this song because each time Casey is beaten and
humiliated by the “Queen Bees” he withdraws into his own safe world at home and
refuses to let Zander and Nate in. This song expresses the frustration and
helplessness that Zander and Nate feel when they can’t reach him.
3. "Demons" by IMAGINE DRAGONS LYRICS (http://youtu.be/mWRsgZuwf_8)
I chose this song because each of the three boys is hiding
something hurt and angry and ugly and jaded deep inside, and only when the boys
look very carefully into each other’s eyes is it visible. And the hurt and
anger, in many ways, resemble demons.
4. "Wherever You Will Go" by THE CALLING LYRICS (http://youtu.be/iAP9AF6DCu4)
I chose this song because it shows the dedication that each
of the three boys feels for each other, and how they would want to know that if
one of them were for some reason taken away from the threesome, he would find
comfort knowing that the other two would still remain together.
5. “Glitter In The Air” by P!nk (http://youtu.be/3stsDXki__U)
I chose this song because it is a song about letting your
guard down and trying new things for the very first time with the one(s) you
love. Casey and Nate and Zander must open themselves up to a totally new
experience, making themselves completely vulnerable to the others.
6. Claire de Lune (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GevlC4Glog&feature=kp)
I chose this song because this is the song Casey selected to
back their French group project’s power point, and the group project is the
reason why the three met.
7. "Broken" by LIFEHOUSE LYRICS (http://youtu.be/I6cdPeYJh0s)
I chose this song because all three of these boys are broken
in different ways. Casey is bullied and alone at school, Nate is abused and
neglected at home, and Zander is neglected at home and afraid to be himself at
school.
8. U2 - One Lyrics (http://youtu.be/ftjEcrrf7r0)
I chose this song because although there are three in this
love relationship, there is really just one love between them that they all
share. It talks about how those in love must carry each other, which is true in
Us Three.
9. “I Melt With You Lyrics” by Modern English (http://youtu.be/LuN6gs0AJls)
I chose this song because it reminded me of the pure joy the
boys felt on their sleepovers when they just relaxed and melted together into
one. Also, the lyrics discuss how they’ve seen a difference-in their time
together- and that things will get better for them in the future, and I think
this is a hope that the boys hold onto.
10. "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" by ELTON JOHN
(http://youtu.be/fx6GU8e3PUg)
I chose this song because it expresses the awe that the
three boys feel when they become intimate with one another. They are warriors
in their daily life and with each other they calmly surrender to the rush of
the day.
A huge thank you to author Mia Kerick for sharing this book with me, it was such a pleasure to read. And the insight behind the songs for your story shed a new light on specific scenes in the book, after having read it. Until next time..........
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